The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM and the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 215mm. The Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 with a length of 128mm, is 87mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM also has a larger diameter of 119mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135's 84mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 weighs 920g, 61% (1480g) lighter than the Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM's weight of 2400g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM and the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM is also available in the Canon EF , Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
450mm.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 202.5mm.
